Understand 301 redirects

A 301 is a redirect, not an error. The server answers a request by pointing the client to a different URL. Browsers, crawlers, and API clients follow that new location automatically.

# When 301 redirects happen

• fortrabbit redirects every http:// request to https://
• A domain set to forward in the dashboard, see domain forwarding
• A .htaccess rule that sends the default domain to the primary domain
• A page moved to a new path after a relaunch

# Browser caching

Browsers cache a 301. Once a browser has seen a 301 for a URL, it may stop asking the server about the original address and jump straight to the target.

That makes a 301 hard to take back. A wrong rule can stick in visitors' browsers for a long time, and there is no way to clear it remotely. Test redirect rules with curl -I or a private browser window before making them permanent.

$ curl -I https://en-34fdsa.eu-w1a.frbit.app
HTTP/2 301
location: https://www.your-domain.example/

When in doubt whether a redirect should be permanent, start with a 302 and switch to 301 once the new URL is confirmed stable.

# SEO considerations

Search engines read a 301 as the signal to move a page's ranking to the new URL. For a permanent move, this is the right code.

• Use 301, not 302, when content moves for good, so the ranking follows.
• Redirect to the final URL in a single hop, without redirect chains.
• Set a canonical URL as well, so search engines know which address is the single source.

# Set up a 301

Custom 301 redirects on fortrabbit go into .htaccess. See redirects with .htaccess.